Written Answers Tuesday 27 June 2006

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25904 by Ross Finnie on 23 May 2006, how many people wishing to enter agriculture have contacted, and been helped by, each local enterprise company since 1999 and what steps are taken to publicise the services of the enterprise network to those who may be interested in entering agriculture.

Nicol Stephen: This is an operational matter for the enterprise networks.

Agriculture

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms there were in each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1999.

Ross Finnie: Information on the number of farms in each parliamentary constituency is not readily available.

  Information from the June Agricultural Census, including the number of farms, is available by Regional Groupings of Unitary Authorities. This information is published annually in the Scottish Executive publication: Scottish Agricultural Census Summary Sheets By Geographic Area and is available electronically at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/15631/9620.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pre-school children are currently not registered with a dentist (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) local authority area and expressed as a percentage of children in the age group in each case.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

Digital Technology

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households have a broadband connection, broken down by parliamentary constituency and local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.

Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many educational maintenance allowances are being paid in each local education authority area; what percentage of the relevant age cohort these figures represent, and what estimate it has made of the take-up rate in each area.

Nicol Stephen: The latest year for which we have complete information is 2004-05. Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) were launched across Scotland in August 2004 for eligible 16-year-olds. The national roll-out to all eligible 16 to 19-year-olds will be complete in 2007-08.

  The total number of students who received an EMA in 2004-05 was 23,650 – see the Statistical Publication Notice available from the internet at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/02112052/20531.

  The following table relates the 16-year-olds that receive EMA payments for attending either school or college to the total 16-year-old population in each area. Note that those not receiving EMA payments may no longer attend full-time education, may not have applied or may not be eligible on income grounds. As we do not have family income data for all young people in each area it is impossible to say what the take-up rate of EMAs is.

  Table: 16-Year-Olds in Scotland: Percentage Receiving an EMA Payment, by Local Authority – 2004-05

  

 
 16-Year-Old Students Receiving an EMA Payment
 Total Number of 16-Year-Olds
 Percentage of the Age Cohort Receiving EMA


 Total1
 19,060
 62,200
 31%


 Aberdeen City
 545
 2,195
 25%


 Aberdeenshire
 685
 3,255
 21%


 Angus
 555
 1,340
 41%


 Argyll and Bute
 325
 1,185
 27%


 Borders
 630
 1,305
 48%


 Clackmannanshire
 220
 640
 34%


 Dumfries and Galloway
 660
 1,835
 36%


 Dundee
 600
 1,680
 36%


 East Dunbartonshire
 435
 1,500
 29%


 East Lothian
 300
 1,155
 26%


 East Renfrewshire
 365
 1,365
 27%


 Edinburgh
 1,155
 4,775
 24%


 Eilean Siar
 120
 365
 33%


 Falkirk
 445
 1775
 25%


 Fife
 1,650
 4,640
 36%


 Glasgow
 2,030
 6,875
 30%


 Highland
 925
 2,740
 34%


 Inverclyde
 455
 1,070
 43%


 Midlothian
 265
 1,050
 25%


 Moray
 310
 1,215
 25%


 North Ayrshire
 785
 1,850
 42%


 North Lanarkshire
 1,390
 4,255
 33%


 Orkney
 60
 265
 23%


 Perth and Kinross
 440
 1,760
 25%


 Renfrewshire
 755
 2,105
 36%


 Shetland
 60
 315
 20%


 South Ayrshire
 485
 1,390
 35%


 South Lanarkshire
 1,220
 3,790
 32%


 Stirling
 225
 1,080
 21%


 West Dunbartonshire
 340
 1,215
 28%


 West Lothian
 635
 2,210
 29%



  Source: Scottish Executive and General Register Office for Scotland (GROS)

  Note:

  1. East Ayrshire have been excluded from this table due to incomplete data returns.

  2. All numbers in this table have been rounded to the nearest five.

  3. Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the employment rate after graduation was for students of (a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish, (d) Italian and (e) other European languages in the last three years for which information is available.

Nicol Stephen: The following tables show the employment, unemployment and further study/training rates for full-time higher education students from the UK or the EU six months after graduation from Scottish institutions in the following languages, for each of the last three years for which we have information.

  The employment rates in the following tables are calculated as those entering any type of employment (permanent UK, temporary UK or overseas employment) within each language group as a proportion of all those within the language group who responded to the survey.

  (a) French

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 57.3%
 23.8%
 6.3%
 12.6%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 57.9%
 31.1%
 6.7%
 4.3%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 65.6%
 22.9%
 3.2%
 8.3%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (b) German

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 72.2%
 16.7%
 5.6%
 5.6%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 49.3%
 27.5%
 17.4%
 5.8%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 70.2%
 21.3%
 0.0%
 8.5%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (c) Spanish

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 62.3%
 17.4%
 10.1%
 10.1%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 62.0%
 25.0%
 6.5%
 6.5%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 66.7%
 17.1%
 3.6%
 12.6%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (d) Italian

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 59.3%
 29.6%
 11.1%
 0.0%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 51.4%
 28.6%
 14.3%
 5.7%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 54.3%
 17.1%
 5.7%
 22.9%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (e) Other European

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 42.9%
 40.5%
 14.3%
 2.4%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 68.5%
 21.5%
 6.9%
 3.1%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 62.9%
 19.0%
 4.3%
 13.8%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  The data are collected by means of a voluntary survey of UK and EU domiciled students and include those graduating at sub-degree, degree or postgraduate level in the given academic year.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the employment rate after graduation was for students of (a) English, (b) mathematics, (c) science and (d) psychology in the last three years for which information is available.

Nicol Stephen: The following tables show the employment, unemployment and further study/training rates for full-time higher education students from the UK or the EU six months after graduation from Scottish institutions in the following subjects, for each of the last three years for which we have information.

  The employment rates in the following tables are calculated as those entering any type of employment (permanent UK, temporary UK or overseas employment) within each subject group as a proportion of all those within the subject group who responded to the survey.

  (a) English

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 55.4%
 26.0%
 8.1%
 10.5%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 53.7%
 28.7%
 8.5%
 9.1%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 53.9%
 29.6%
 6.3%
 10.2%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC)

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (b) Mathematics

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 58.2%
 28.1%
 5.0%
 8.8%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 59.6%
 24.7%
 9.3%
 6.4%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 58.2%
 25.3%
 8.4%
 8.1%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  (c) Science

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 51.1%
 32.7%
 6.6%
 9.6%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 53.5%
 30.2%
 7.9%
 8.4%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 53.4%
 31.9%
 6.8%
 7.8%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  Note: In this table, science students include all students of the biological sciences and physical sciences (e.g. Chemistry and Physics).

  (d) Psychology

  

 Academic Year
 Graduate Destinations


 Total
 Employment Rate
 Further Study/Training
 Believed Unemployed
 Other


 2001-02
 100.0%
 60.9%
 20.0%
 5.3%
 13.9%


 2002-03
 100.0%
 65.6%
 19.9%
 6.0%
 8.5%


 2003-04
 100.0%
 58.3%
 27.4%
 5.8%
 8.5%



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  "Other" destinations include those unable to work, looking after the home or family, taking time out in order to travel, etc.

  The data are collected by means of a voluntary survey of students and include those graduating at sub degree, degree or postgraduate level in the given academic year.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for how many European language graduates the (a) business services, (b) wholesale and retail, (c) manufacturing, (d) banking and finance and (e) transport and communications sector was the first employment destination in the last three years for which information is available.

Nicol Stephen: Tables (a) to (e) show how many UK or EU domiciled full time higher education European language graduates from Scottish institutions took their first job (six months after graduation) in the specified industries in the UK.

  (a) European Language Graduates: First Destination in Business Services

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of First Destinations 
in the Industry


 2001-02
 65


 2002-03
 45


 2003-04
 55



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  (b) European Language Graduates: First Destination Wholesale and Retail

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of First Destinations 
in the Industry


 2001-02
 35


 2002-03
 60


 2003-04
 65



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  (c) European Language Graduates: First Destination Manufacturing

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of First Destinations 
in the Industry


 2001-02
 30


 2002-03
 45


 2003-04
 35



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC)

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  (d) European Language Graduates: First Destination Banking and Finance

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of First Destinations 
in the Industry


 2001-02
 30


 2002-03
 30


 2003-04
 25



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  (e) European Language Graduates: First Destination Transport and Communications

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of First Destinations 
in the Industry


 2001-02
 10


 2002-03
 15


 2003-04
 15



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  The following table indicates how many UK or EU domiciled full time higher education European language graduates from Scottish institutions entered employment in the UK in all employment industries, in relation to the corresponding total number of European language graduates in that academic year.

  European Language Graduates

  

 Academic Year
 Estimated Number of Graduates in Employment in UK
 Total Number of Graduates


 2001-02
 215
 455


 2002-03
 265
 600


 2003-04
 285
 590



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality but all estimates are based on unrounded counts.

  The data from the tables includes those graduating at sub degree, degree or postgraduate level in the given academic year. The information provided is the latest available.

  Data on first employment destination of graduates is collected by means of a voluntary survey of UK and EU domiciled graduates around six months after graduation. Between 73% and 82% of full-time European language graduates responded to the survey in the three years. The estimates above assume that those not responding made the same employment choices as those responding.

Enterprise

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of economic inactivity was in (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Dundee in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: Estimates of economic inactivity are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Table 1 provides estimates of working age economic inactivity for Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee Local Authority areas for 2000-04.

  The estimates are based on a sample survey, and as such, are subject to some sampling error. Taking this sampling error into account, the changes in the estimates over time are not statistically significant.

  Table 1 Working-Age1 Economic Inactivity by Selected Local Authority Area, 2000-042

  

 
 Dundee City
 City of Edinburgh
 Glasgow City


 2000
 21,000
 54,000
 108,000


 2001
 20,000
 54,000
 121,000


 2002
 22,000
 58,000
 113,000


 2003
 20,000
 61,000
 110,000


 2004
 20,000
 60,000
 105,000



  Source: Labour Force Survey, Annual Data.

  Notes:

  1. Working age is defined as 16 to 64 for men and 16 to 59 for women.

  2. Data based on seasonal years (March to February).

  3. Data are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Enterprise

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23314 by Nicol Stephen on 23 May 2006, what the actual outcomes were in respect of (a) projects completed, (b) jobs created and (c) money invested in each year from 1995-96 to 2004-05.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23314 by Nicol Stephen on 23 May 2006, what the actual outcomes were in respect of (a) projects completed, (b) jobs created and (c) money invested in each year from 1995-96 to 2004-05, net of the impact of inward investors closing their operations in Scotland in each of those years.

Nicol Stephen: Because of the complex nature of projects and the potential burden to business from collecting this information, fully comparable data on the outcomes of all the planned projects listed in answer to question S2W-23314 are not available.

  Every project receiving regional selective assistance (RSA) or other public sector grants is scrutinised to ensure that the agreed grant conditions are achieved. Typically these conditions involve meeting job number and capital investment targets. We retain the right to claw back grant if the conditions are not met.

  Directly monitoring all inward investments would be highly complex and burdensome to businesses. For example difficulties arise in attributing job creation to a particular project when companies undertake additional investments as part of their normal business cycle. In addition, the time taken for individual projects to achieve announced job numbers means that jobs created each calendar year will result from investments over a number of years.

  We are working to improve the statistics available on the contribution of overseas-owned companies to Scotland’s economy. In 2005 the Executive published data for 2002, 2003 and 2004 showing overall employment levels and turnover in companies with overseas ownership.

Enterprise

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20792 by Nicol Stephen on 1 December 2005, whether the sub-group of the Financial Services Strategy Group is keeping under review the position of the call and contact centre industry in Scotland and whether a report will be produced on its findings.

Nicol Stephen: The Financial Services Strategy Group and its sub-groups concluded their work with the publication of the Strategy for the Financial Services Industry in Scotland in March 2005. The Scottish Executive continues to keep under review the position of the call and contact centre industry in Scotland.

Enterprise

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding was provided to encourage foreign companies to set up business in Scotland in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05 and which agencies provided the funding.

Nicol Stephen: The main grants offered to companies headquartered outside of the UK making their first time investment in Scotland are regional selective assistance (RSA), provided by the Executive, and a range of training, property and research and development grants offered by Scottish Enterprise. The following table shows the offers of funding made under these grants to first-time foreign investors during the years in question.

  

 Year
 Scottish Executive – RSA Offers to First-Time Foreign Investors
 Scottish Enterprise - Grant Offers to First-Time Foreign Investors


 2001-02
£5,805,000
£0


 2002-03
£4,030,000
£0


 2003-04
£340,000
£14,000


 2004-05
£9,560,000
£2,135,000



  It should be noted that offers of funding made in each year could cover several subsequent years; that each grant is subject to conditions of funding typically involving job or investment targets, and that not all of the funding offered may eventually have been paid out. Out of the total £19,735,000 in RSA funding offered to first-time foreign investors during the four years in question, £8,527,969 has been paid to date.

Enterprise

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign companies in receipt of funding from Scottish Enterprise to support their setting up in Scotland were still operating five years after initial funding was received.

Nicol Stephen: Monitoring of companies in receipt of funding from Scottish Enterprise is an operational matter for that organisation.

  Scottish Enterprise advises that the information is not available in the form requested because each of the grants potentially available to foreign companies has different condition periods and records do not distinguish between support that companies receive to set up in Scotland and support for subsequent projects.

  However, all funding offered to foreign companies is subject to conditions, typically involving job targets or target investment levels over three to five years, and Scottish Enterprise reserves the right to claw back funding if these conditions are not met.

Enterprise

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 which are due to come into force on 1 October 2006, it will review the current arrangements for Small Business Gateway start-up grants which are available only to applicants aged between 18 and 30 years.

Nicol Stephen: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had to discussions with the European Union in respect of changing the timing of the annual fishing quota negotiations that currently take place prior to Christmas and what progress these discussions have made.

Ross Finnie: The Commission has recently published a Communication on Improving Consultation on EU Fisheries Management . The document can be found here:

  http://ec.europa.eu/comm/fisheries/doc_et_publ/factsheets/legal_texts/docscom/en/com_06_246_en.pdf.

  Whilst the Commission does not recommend a change in the timing of the fishing year itself, it proposes a number of measures designed to achieve greater stakeholder engagement and earlier and fuller discussions of proposals.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in securing additional quota for white fish stocks.

Ross Finnie: International quota swaps are a regular and important feature of the UK’s quota management arrangements. To date this year, some 36 international swaps have been concluded, securing almost 13,000 tonnes of additional quota, including around 4,400 tonnes of North Sea haddock. The Executive will continue to pursue further opportunities as the year progresses where they are in the best interests of the Scottish industry.

Higher Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher education institutions offered (a) mathematics, (b) physics, (c) biology, (d) chemistry, (e) computing and electronics and (f) engineering-related degrees and how many enrolments there were in each of these subjects in each year since 1994-95.

Nicol Stephen: The number of student enrolments and number of Scottish Higher Education Institutions offering degrees in the specified subjects in each academic year since 1994-95 are given in the following tables.

  (a) Mathematics

  

 Academic year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 2,520 
 13


 1995-96
 2,365 
 13


 1996-97
 2,210 
 13


 1997-98
 2,275 
 13


 1998-99
 2,410 
 13


 1999-2000
 2,410 
 12


 2000-01
 2,475 
 12


 2001-02
 2,525 
 12


 2002-03
 2,530 
 11


 2003-04
 2,880 
 11


 2004-05
 3,330 
 11



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  (b) Physics

  

 Academic Year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 1,970 
 12


 1995-96
 1,920 
 12


 1996-97
 1,890 
 12


 1997-98
 1,890 
 13


 1998-99
 1,865 
 13


 1999-2000
 1,815 
 12


 2000-01
 1,705 
 12


 2001-02
 1,660 
 12


 2002-03
 1,585 
 11


 2003-04
 1,630 
 9


 2004-05
 1,545 
 9



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  (c) Biology

  

 Academic year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 3,610 
 13


 1995-96
 3,605 
 13


 1996-97
 3,655 
 13


 1997-98
 3,630 
 13


 1998-99
 3,555
 13


 1999-2000
 3,600
 13


 2000-01
 3,815
 14


 2001-02
 4,025
 16


 2002-03
 4,070
 13


 2003-04
 4,315
 15


 2004-05
 4,080
 15



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  (d) Chemistry

  

 Academic Year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 2,990 
 13


 1995-96
 3,060 
 14


 1996-97
 3,080 
 14


 1997-98
 2,945 
 14


 1998-99
 3,055
 13


 1999-2000
 2,810
 13


 2000-01
 2,510
 13


 2001-02
 2,325
 14


 2002-03
 2,295
 14


 2003-04
 2,255
 12


 2004-05
 2,020
 12



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  (e) Computing

  

 Academic year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 5,625 
 16


 1995-96
 5,730 
 15


 1996-97
 6,185 
 14


 1997-98
 6,420 
 14


 1998-99
 7,390
 13


 1999-2000
 8,150
 13


 2000-01
 8,390
 13


 2001-02
 9,740
 14


 2002-03
 10,150
 15


 2003-04
 9,990
 15


 2004-05
 9,490
 15



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  Electrical and Electronic Engineering

  

 Academic Year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 4,510 
 12


 1995-96
 4,160 
 12


 1996-97
 3,840 
 12


 1997-98
 3,955 
 12


 1998-99
 3,925
 11


 1999-2000
 3,995
 11


 2000-01
 4,590
 11


 2001-02
 4,750
 13


 2002-03
 4,825 
 13


 2003-04
 3,910 
 13


 2004-05
 3,550 
 12



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality. Electronics is an engineering subject which cannot be separated clearly from electrical engineering.

  (f) Engineering (including Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

  

 Academic year
 Total Enrolments
 Number of Higher Education Institutions Offering Degrees


 1994-95
 12,590 
 13


 1995-96
 12,735 
 13


 1996-97
 12,275 
 12


 1997-98
 12,200 
 12


 1998-99
 12,125
 11


 1999-2000
 11,410
 11


 2000-01
 11,570
 11


 2001-02
 12,435
 13


 2002-03
 13,155
 13


 2003-04
 13,380
 14


 2004-05
 13,465
 13



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five to protect confidentiality.

  The data above includes all students on first degree or postgraduate degree courses in the given subjects.

  The subject given in each of the above tables is that being studied as a single subject, the main subject in a combination of subjects or one of the subjects studied in a balanced combination of study.

  The number of higher education institutes (HEI) offering a particular course has been determined as the number of HEIs teaching one or more students in the subject in the given year. The number of institutions offering these subjects fluctuated during the reporting period as did the total number of HEIs in Scotland: in 2001-02 Bell College and UHIMI have become higher education institutions.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training is provided, and by whom, to procurators fiscal and others in the legal profession to assist them in their work with people with learning disabilities.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is committed to providing services that are accessible to all members of the public, and ensuring that all people are treated fairly and in accordance with their needs as far as is possible.

  All staff attend a two day Diversity Awareness Course which includes a session on disability within which learning disabilities are discussed. These sessions are delivered by guest presenters who have some expertise in this area.

  Staff also have access to a range of materials on the departmental intranet which assists in working with people with learning disabilities. COPFS is delivering an entire training programme about the Vulnerable Witnesses Act 2004 and this includes information about adult vulnerable witnesses, adults with learning disabilities and adults subject to guardianship orders and intervention orders.

  Training for the wider legal profession is a matter for the relevant professional bodies.

Justice

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to consult on the law relating to the compellability of spousal witnesses.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is publishing today a short consultation on proposals to amend the law on compellability of spousal witnesses.

  Copies of the consultation have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39933).

NHS Finance

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital allocation to NHS Tayside has been in each year since 2003-04, expressed also at constant prices.

Mr Andy Kerr: The formula capital allocation to NHS Tayside in each year since 2003-04 is as shown in the following table. The formula capital allocations have been deflated to show what they would have been if held at 2003-04 prices and these are as shown in the column of the table headed "Expressed at 2003-04 Constant Prices". The GDP deflator which is produced by HM Treasury from data provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) was used in the calculation.

  

 Year
Capital Allocation (£000)
Expressed at 2003-04 Constant Prices (£000)


 2003-04
 14,240
 14,240


 2004-05
 15,445
 15,113


 2005-06
 16,906
 16,204


 2006-07
 20,276
 18,971


 2007-08
 24,347
 22,190

NHS Finance

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on medicines in hospitals in NHS Tayside in each of the last three years.

Lewis Macdonald: The following table shows expenditure on medicines in hospitals in NHS Tayside for the latest three years for which figures are available. The figures include expenditure on drugs for hospital use (excluding radio-diagnostic x-ray drugs) and hospital prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists.

  

 NHS Board
 Financial Year
£000


 NHS Tayside
 2002-03
 14,876


 NHS Tayside
 2003-04
 15,187


 NHS Tayside
 2004-05
 16,723

NHS Waiting Times

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) mean and (b) median waiting times have been in respect of in-patient procedures for the 50 most common specialties in each year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: The majority of patients who require in-patient and day case treatment are treated quickly. Nearly 53% of the patients treated in NHSScotland hospitals receive immediate treatment and never join a waiting list. Of those who do wait, over 40% are admitted within one months and over 70% within three months.

  The distribution of waiting times for in-patient discharges is highly positively skewed. The arithmetic mean is an inappropriate statistical measure for such distributions because a very small number of long waiting times can have a disproportionate effect on the mean waiting time.

  The median and mean are not targets for NHSScotland; they are only summary measures for patients who waited for treatment. Reducing maximum waiting times is the Scottish Executive’s priority for NHSScotland. The current national maximum waiting time for in-patient and day case treatment is six months. This will be reduced to 18 weeks by the end of 2007.

  NHSScotland is making good progress towards meeting the next key target of a maximum wait of 18 weeks by the end of 2007. At that point, a new approach to defining and measuring waiting will also be introduced to replace availability status codes (ASCs), which have the effect at present of excluding patients from waiting times guarantees where for example, they are medically unfit for treatment, where they have asked for their treatment to be postponed, or where their treatment is highly specialised or of low clinical priority. The new approach will be fairer, more consistent and more transparent.

  Retrospective analyses of waiting times for hospital treatment compiled from SMR01 returns are based on data that does not record whether patients have had an ASC applied. The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39918) and it includes the waiting times of patients who have been exempted from waiting times guarantees for the reasons given above and therefore overstates true waiting times. It is not possible to estimate the extent of the overstatement.

National Minimum Wage Helpline

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the withdrawal of funding for the Scottish National Minimum Wage helpline.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This is a pilot project which the Department of Trade and Industry believes will have run its course and where in the DTI’s view resources would be better targeted at enforcement and criminal prosecutions of non-compliant employers.

Nuclear Power

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware of any plans to carry out a feasibility study into the storage at the Hunterston nuclear site of low and intermediate-level waste produced at any other nuclear facility and what its position would be regarding any such plans.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is aware that proposals from British Nuclear Group (BNG) were discussed at the Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group meeting on 14 June 2006, to produce a feasibility study to process and store a small amount of intermediate level radioactive waste resins from Chapelcross at the Hunterston A site.

  This is an operational matter for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and its contractor BNG. Any formal proposals would be subject to regulatory and planning approval.

Oil Industry

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any estimate of the impact of higher oil prices and reduced supply on the economy and, in particular, on (a) gross domestic product, (b) employment levels and (c) consumer demand and whether any preparations are being made for a low-oil economy.

Allan Wilson: An analysis of the impact of global oil price rises on the Scottish economy was published by the Scottish Executive in the December 2005 Scottish Economic Report and can be accessed via the link below (see chapter 1, box 1.6).

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/01160340/03406.

  The Executive’s sustainable development strategy Choosing our Future, December 2005 www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/1493902/39032 and the Scottish Climate Change Programme Changing our Ways, March 2006 www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/03/30091039/0 underline the importance of reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions as part of the global effort to tackle climate change and commit the Executive to deliver a challenging Scottish target for carbon savings. Using energy more efficiently and increasing the proportion of our energy needs which are met from renewable sources will both have important parts to play in achieving this.

Renewable Energy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available for wave energy research for each of the next five years.

Nicol Stephen: We are consulting on changes that might be made to the Renewables Obligation Scotland (ROS) in order to provide a source of long-term, increased funding to wave and tidal energy generators. We want Scotland to be the centre for marine energy research, development and manufacturing. Changes to the ROS should help ensure this happens.

  We have also allocated £8 million for marine energy development to be spent over the next two years. This money will be made available to develop the correct infrastructure, environmental understanding and marine technology to help get projects in the water around our coast.

  In partnership with our enterprise agencies we have provided around £6.6 million to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). This includes over £3 million to set up wave and tidal test facilities at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). These facilities have already been used to help develop Ocean Power Delivery’s Pelamis device. We have also provided £650,000 to help prepare EMEC for the arrival of Scottish and Southern Energy’s Neptune tidal device and recently agreed to award £136,500 for EMEC to develop internationally recognised standards and certification for the marine energy industry. We will continue to make investments in EMEC over the coming years.

  Scottish wave and tidal developers are also eligible to apply for funding from the DTI’s Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

  We remain committed to supporting this important sector and will continue to examine and consider further means of accelerating its development in Scotland.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been, and will be, taken to support the development of a supply chain for the emerging offshore wind sector to ensure that Scotland derives maximum economic benefit from commissioned projects.

Nicol Stephen: We are committed to providing £3 million support to the deep-water off-shore wind demonstrator project being developed by Talisman in the Moray Firth. Substantial elements of this project are being sourced from manufacturers based in Scotland. More generally, both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise devote considerable efforts to develop local supply capability.

Renewable Energy

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has about how much funding was available to support schemes similar to the Scottish Householder Renewables Initiative in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) England in 2005 and how much is available in each of these countries for similar purposes in each year from 2006 to 2008.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not available in the format requested.

  For years 2003 to 2006, £12.5 million in total was allocated to the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Clear Skies Initiative. This scheme covered installations of microgeneration technologies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A breakdown by country or year is not available.

  The DTI has made available £10.5 million under its Low Carbon Building Programme for household and community microgeneration installations throughout the UK over three years from April 2006.

  Northern Ireland has made available £8 million in total under its Environment and Renewable Energy Fund to cover the two years 2006 to 2008. However, the figures are not directly comparable, as unlike Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI), the fund does not focus grant support solely on renewables and also covers energy efficiency projects.

  For comparison, the SCHRI funding for years 2005 to 2008 is:

  

 Financial Year
Funding (£ Million)


 2005-06
 2.45


 2006-07
 3.70


 2007-08
 3.70


 Total
 9.85



  However, the figures are not all directly comparable, in particular those in respect of the Northern Ireland Environment and Renewable Energy Fund, which unlike SCHRI, does not focus grant support solely on renewables.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising and editorial coverage in the broadcast and print media in each month from May 1999 to May 2006, broken down by broadcast media outlet and print media title.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally by The Scottish Executive, however, our current media buyer, Mediacom, has provided the information from 31 August 2004 to present, at no cost to the Executive. The information requested on spend for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 July 2004 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The figures prior to 1 January 2003 are not available.

  The information requested is given in table title Press and Editorial Coverage. A copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39761).

Scottish Executive Buildings

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many days the (a) St Andrew’s flag and (b) Union flag has been flown from each Executive building since 1999.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information is given in the following table:

  

 Year
 Union Flag
 St Andrew’s Flag


 1999
 10
 10


 2000
 18
 18


 2001
 18
 18


 2002
 34
 34


 2003
 27
 27


 2004
 15
 15


 2005
 24
 100


 Up to June 19, 2006 
 10
 170



  The Executive’s Flag Flying Guidelines were first issued in June 2001, following consultations with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (who were responsible, pre-devolution, for guidance on flags). In October 2005, the Executive’s Flag Flying Guidelines were amended to state that the St Andrew’s flag should be flown every day. A copy of the Executive’s current Flag Flying Guidelines has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39896).

Scottish Executive Publications

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of Moving Forward - Review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland were printed; to whom they were distributed, and what the cost was of (a) design, (b) printing and (c) distribution.

Lewis Macdonald: One thousand copies of Moving Forward – Review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland  were printed at a total cost of £17,704.62 plus distribution, which was arranged in-house. The cost of:

  (a) design was £5,214.62;

  (b) printing was £12,084.00;

  (c) distribution was approximately £3,016, and

  (d) project management was £406.00.

  This figure also includes the price of publication on the Scottish Executive website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/30113633/0.

  The report has been viewed by 907 people since its publication on 9 June 2006.

  Printed copies of the report were sent to:

  Participants in the regional and national consultation events who submitted their details;

  Those who took part in the public consultation exercise who submitted their details (either as an organisation or as an individual);

  MSPs;

  Scottish MPs;

  NHS Board Chief Executives;

  Regional Wheelchair Centres in Scotland (several copies for display);

  Steering Group members;

  National Centre for Training in Education in Orthotics and Prosthetics, and

  Individuals who have contacted us since publication.

Student Finance

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were in arrears to the Student Loans Company for (a) less than one month, (b) less than three months, (c) less than six months and (d) more than six months at the end of each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06.

Nicol Stephen: The table shows borrowers with publicly-owned mortgage-style loans in arrears by length of arrears at the end of financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06.

  

 Financial Year
 In Arrears, No Repayment Schedule1
 Less than One Month in Arrears
 From 1 Month to Less than 3 Months in Arrears
 From 3 Months to Less than 6 Months in Arrears
 6 Months or More in Arrears


 2004-05
 52,900
 2,600
 6,600
 4,900
 53,600


 2005-06
 59,900
 2,200
 5,300
 3,600
 43,600



  Source: Student Loans Company.

  Note: 1. Borrowers in arrears with no repayment schedule include those with a very small balance remaining, and those subject to litigation. In both cases the borrower is required to repay the whole amount outstanding.

  This level of detail is not available for earlier years. However, the second table shows borrowers with publicly-owned mortgage-style loans in arrears by whether they are less than two months in arrears or more than two months in arrears at the end of financial years 2001-02 to 2003-04.

  

 Financial Year
 Less than 2 Months in Arrears1
 More than 2 Months in Arrears


 2001-02
 28,700
 80,400


 2002-03
 39,300
 71,700


 2003-04
 51,100
 62,100



  Source: Student Loans Company.

  Note: 1. Includes borrowers in arrears with no repayment schedule.

  Comparable information is not available before 2001-02. Income-contingent loans were introduced in 1998. Most income-contingent loan repayments are collected by employers through the tax system and current policy ensures that deductions keep pace with earnings so borrowers do not become overdue on their accounts.

Student Finance

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individual student loan accounts were passed to debt collection agencies by the Student Loans Company in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06.

Nicol Stephen: Year
 Number of Cases Instructed


 *2000-01
 27,424


 2001-02
 72,564


 2002-03
 53,478


 2003-04
 47,966


 2004-05
 100,497


 2005-06
 56,938



  Note: *The table contains details of all accounts sent to Debt Collection Agencies since October 2000. There are no records prior to this date.

  These numbers do not represent individual borrowers, but the number of instructions sent to agencies.

Waste Management

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the results of the Reusable Bag Campaign, which is the Waste and Reusable Bag Campaign’s (WRAP) pilot project on reducing the number of plastic carrier bags, and, if so, what the results were.

Ross Finnie: We have received a draft copy of the report on the Choose to Reuse  trial, run by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and WRAP will publish the final report on their website shortly.